


Charmed

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [9]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Charmed (TV) Fusion, Demons, Forbidden Love, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Minor Injuries, Protectiveness, Rescue, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-08-17 06:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16511324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It was forbidden for a Whitelighter to be with their charge...but Natsu is determined to prove that he won't distract Gray from his calling, or fail in his own job, and desperate to earn a chance for them to be together.





	Charmed

    Natsu cursed softly under his breath as he sank down against the wall, gripping his arm tightly as he watched blood trickling down his skin. _Idiot,_ he scolded himself, aware that he should have easily been able to dodge that energy ball, but he had let himself get too caught up in the rush of the fight, and too focused on hurling fireballs at the demons. The only good thing was that none of them had got away, and he allowed a hint of satisfaction to enter his expression as he glanced down the alleyway at the piles of ash now littering the ground, before groaning as he shifted slightly and sent fresh pain lancing up his arm and his fingers tightened on the wound.

“GRAY!” He shouted, realizing that he was already beginning to feel lightheaded and as much as he didn’t want his Whitelighter to realise that he had screwed up again, he knew that the inevitable scolding was better than bleeding to death. “Gray…” The world was beginning to turn grey around the edges, and his eyes were just beginning to drift shut when he caught the tell-tale swirl of blue orbs, and he let them close with a sigh of relief as he knew Gray would be able to take care of everything.

    He was vaguely aware of a worried voice somewhere above him, the grey beginning to fade away as he felt the familiar warmth of Gray’s healing magic on his arm and he managed to coax his eyes open, watching with a soft expression as the Whitelighter stared intently at the wound and he couldn’t stop himself from following his gaze. As many times as he had been injured and needed patching up, he never got tired of watching the wounds fading away beneath that gentle light, and there was a small smile on his face when Gray pulled back and looked at him.

“Thank you, I…”

“Your being reckless again.” Gray scolded him, dark eyes flashing even as he held out a hand to help Natsu up and the Fire mage grumbled even as he accepted the help. “How many demons is that this week?”

“Twelve,” Natsu replied with a triumphant grin, although it faded in the face of the stern expression that Gray shooting at him and he sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair as he glanced across at the piles of ash. “Look, I know you think I'm an idiot and maybe I am, but you know why I’m doing this.”

“I know.” Gray grimaced, glancing upwards for a moment before taking half a step closer to his charge, his expression softening a little before he reached out to gently brush his fingers against Natsu’s cheek before pulling them away with a conflicted expression, not missing the pain in olive eyes as his charge made a movement as though to grab his, hands before visibly stopping himself. “That’s part of why it scares me so much. You don’t even know if doing all of this will help. They might still say no - they might still take me away.” There was a dull ache in his chest at the thought of being taken away from Natsu, and he knew that his charge felt the same as his arms had crept up around him in a rare self-hug.

“What else can I do?” Natsu asked, the same desperation in his voice as there had been the night that he had confessed to the Whitelighter that he loved him, and finally getting to hear the same words back. Only for Gray to tell him that it didn’t matter, that it didn’t matter that they loved one another, because it was still forbidden. It was against the rules. _I don’t care…_ He had declared at the time, and to be honest, he still didn’t care. If he could, he would have gone right up to the Elders and told them to butt out, that they didn’t have the right to dictate their lives, but that wasn’t what Gray wanted, and no matter how much he hated it, there was no way he was going to go against the Whitelighter. _Yet…_ “If I can just prove to them that I can do my job. That we can both do our jobs, then maybe…”

“It’s never happened before,” Gray pointed out softly, for once not having the words to soothe his charge and hating it, his expression contorting for a moment as he rested a hand over his chest where he could feel Natsu’s distress burning. _Why? Why did I have to fall in love with him?_ He thought, unsure of whether he was more irritated with himself – Natsu, or the situation. It was all new to him. He’d guided dozens of charges before, but not once had he let himself become this entangled with them and part of him wished that he hadn’t, right until he looked up again and met olive eyes. _I love him…_

“It doesn’t matter, I can make it happen and then we…” Natsu trailed off as Gray abruptly disappeared in a swirl of orbs, the startled expression on his face telling him that Whitelighter hadn’t left of his own free will and dread pooled in his stomach. “Gray? GRAY!” For several minutes there was no response at all, but then he got a soft, sorrowful sounding jingle in his ears and his expression fell. He only ever got that noise when something serious was stopping Gray from coming to him, and he had a terrifying feeling that he knew why the Whitelighter wasn’t responding this time.

_No. Please don’t take him away…._

**

    Gray blinked as he appeared in front of the Elders, trying to catch his bearings and pull his expression into a calm mask, panic churning in his chest. _They know,_ he thought as he glanced around taking in the stern expressions and feeling the restriction that had been placed on his orbing and yet for once he couldn’t focus on rules, or the thought of being disciplined. All he could think about was the fear he had glimpsed in Natsu’s eyes before he was forcefully dragged away. _Natsu…._ His hands curled into fists at his side at the thought that he might not get to see his charge again, but he hastily schooled his expression back to calmness as one of the Elders stepped forwards and he braced himself for the storm to come.

“Gray…”

****

    It had been two weeks since he had last seen Gray, all his calls going unanswered without even a jingle to tell him that the Whitelighter knew that he was calling. The only comfort he had, was that no new Whitelighter had shown up yet, which meant that Gray might not have been reassigned yet. That was why he was out hunting again, ignoring the small voice that sounded suspiciously like Gray’s that told him he was being far too reckless. He was already bruised and battered from previous fights, his left arm currently in a cast and sling after he had been tossed through a window a few days before. He’d forgotten how irritating it was to rely on normal medicine for healing, but he wasn’t about to let those injuries stop him. He had to prove that he could still be a force of good, that he could and would deal with demons, warlocks and whatever else came his way, even without Gray at his side, and pray that it would be enough to earn them a chance to be together.

“I can do this,” he muttered under his breath, studying the door to the warehouse that he’d found through scrying, his good hand snaking down to pouch he had tied to his belt and checking for the vanquishing potions he had brought along. His own fire power was normally enough, but as he was reduced to one hand, he wasn’t taking any chances. “I can do this…” _For Gray, and for us…_

   Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand and blasted the doors off their hinges with a fireball, grinning in satisfaction as all eyes turned towards him as he stepped inside. There had been a time when their twisted features – scales, horns and other features that he didn’t want to think about, would’ve had him freaking out, and he faltered for a minute as he recalled how Gray had sat with him after those first few fights, calming him down and reassuring him. Now though he moved forward confidently, even as he realised that there were more than he had been anticipating, and more alarmingly that they didn’t look surprised to see him. _Damn…_ Refusing to wait for them he sprang forward, fireballs flying from his good hand, even as he fumbled with the pouch with his bad one, cursing under his breath.

   Several demons were taken out by his fireballs, but the rest were beginning to retaliate, and Natsu cursed as he was forced to fling himself out of the path of their attacks, and his eyes widened with horror as he heard glass smashing. A quick glance down confirming that he had just destroyed the bottles in the pouch, the potions sizzling as they pooled beneath him. His horror being replaced by pain as an electricity ball struck his shoulder, and he cried out, rolling over as he clutched at the newest injury and his eyes darting around the warehouse as he tried to find a way out, but he was surrounded - surrounded and injured and out of potions. _I’m screwed,_ he thought despairingly, and for once he couldn’t summon the energy to keep fighting, his fire flickering weakly around his fingers as he wondered why he was still trying. _They’ve already taken Gray away, so why am I still fighting?_ That thought hurt as it seeped in, but he couldn’t fight it, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he saw the next lightning ball zooming towards him.

“NATSU!” His eyes flew open at the panicked shout, and he caught a brief glimpse of Gray’s panicked face before the world around him disappeared in a swirl of orbs and colours, before he gave in, succumbing to his injuries even as he was whisked away from the warehouse.

_At least I got to see you one last time…_

**

    Natsu groaned softly as he came to, aware of the warm magic dancing across his skin as the pain that had been plaguing him for the last few days faded away, and he sighed with relief before stilling as gentle fingers brushed across his forehead and he was almost afraid to ask.

“Gray?”

“Who else would it be?” The dry question had his eyes shooting open as he sat up, the room tilting for a moment before a gentle hand steadied him, and his mouth dropped open as he found his Whitelighter sat beside him on the couch in his tiny flat. “Natsu, I…” Gray found himself being cut off as Natsu flung himself at him, dragging him into a tight hug, and his expression softened as he returned the hug.

   They remained like that for a few minutes until it dawned on Natsu that he wasn’t being pushed away as usual. In fact, if anything Gray was pulling him in closer, and reluctantly he pulled away just enough to peer up at the Whitelighter with a confused frown.

“Where were you?” _I missed you,_ was what he really wanted to say, but he didn’t want to make things more complicated than it had to be, terrified that Gray was here to say that he was leaving, and he swallowed nervously when he realised that Gray hadn’t responded yet. “Gray?”

“I’m sorry,” Gray said softly, and Natsu felt his heart thumping painfully in his chest as he shook his head mutely, and some of his fear must have shown in his expression because the Whitelighter frantically shook his head, moving his hands up so that he could cup the Fire-user’s face. “It’s not that. I’m not going anywhere!” It took a few minutes for those words to break through the haze of Natsu’s panic, and when it did, he could only gape at the Whitelighter for a long moment before finally getting his voice to work again.

“R-Really?”

“For now,” Gray replied with a small nod, sighing as he caught the understandable confusion in his charge’s eyes. “They’re giving us a chance…” He was cut off by a noise that was half sob, and half laugh as Natsu pulled him into another hug, burying his face against his shoulder and the Whitelighter smiled softly as he felt the tears soaking into his shirt. “If we can prove that this relationship won’t impact on our work, then I won’t have to go anywhere.”

“It won’t…I won’t let it…”

“Neither will I,” Gray promised, pressing a kiss to the top of his charge’s - no his partner’s head, smiling when Natsu peered up at him with hopeful eyes, before reaching up and flicking him in the forehead, making him yelp in protest. “Which means no more being a reckless idiot!” He scolded, shuddering slightly as he recalled the terror that had flooded him when he had orbed in to see Natsu about to die. If his discussions and bartering with the Elders hadn’t ended when it had. He shook his head, trying not to let that thought take hold. _It doesn’t matter. I got there in time, and he’s alive…_

“I promise,” Natsu whispered, catching the fear in the dark eyes and knowing exactly what had caused it. Shivering himself as he realised just how close he had come to losing everything, and he rested his head against Gray’s chest for a moment, just listening to the beat of his heart before leaning up to steal a kiss. Only it wasn’t stolen anymore, because whilst they might be on probation, for a little while at least they were together, and he smiled as he felt Gray respond to the kiss and as it deepened he made another, silent promise.

_I will prove to them that we can work…_

 


End file.
